By Gina Stallone
It may be very early in the season but that didn’t stop rivals Pearl River and Suffern from playing like it was the playoffs.
The game long see-saw battle between the two teams ultimately ended with 3:13 left when Mounties’ Lely DeSimone was able to put one past Pirates’ goalie Delia White, for her fourth goal of the game. The Pirates couldn’t make another drive and the game would end 9-8 in favor of the Mounties.
“It was tough,” said DeSimone, “We weren’t expecting such an intense game. Luckily we came out with the win.”
After the first half ended tied at 6-6, the second half showcased the talent of White. She finished with 15 saves, and made some phenomenal stops which helped keep her team in the game during the second half.
“I knew we had to come out strong today with a new team and I wanted to make a difference and make sure even if they got through the defense I was the block behind them,” she said.
That mindset proved to be the game changer for Pearl River. While the Pirates briefly had a 7-6 lead after a goal by Allison Cook, Suffern bounced back yet again, scoring two goals within minutes of each other to go ahead 8-7.
Kiera McMullan’s second goal tied the game at 8-8 with 7:20 left in regulation. Suffern continued to put pressure on top but White stopped almost everything that was put in front of her.
“I’m really happy with how we played,” White said. “ Last year we lost to them by one and had a great season so I think this is a great indicator of how were going to play this year. It’s definitely a confidence boost for us.”
”We came out gun-shy,” said Pearl River coach Laurie Mayernik. “They put pressure on the top which we aren’t used to and we were taken back but we were able to calm down and realized we could play with them. That’s when it transpired for us.”
Mayernik noted that her team has a lot to work on but it’s a long season and there will be lots of time to work on it all.
Suffern felt that they have a lot of little things to work on, specifically team chemistry, as the team is comprised of mostly freshmen. The Mounties also felt that the amazing saves by White made it a more competitive game.
“Their goalie had us frustrated,” said Mounties coach John Callanan, “We played well and we’re happy to have a win. For us to be able to play a team of their caliber this early in the season is a privilege.”
To see the full photo gallery, click here.